Assuming we still want to do the state visits and having studied the 2006 Internet report (by the way, did you realize that Arkansas is missing?) and the most recent Davis study, I still have questions about the best way to determine which states to visit.

Our preliminary criteria included the following:

Pick states where there were a high percentage of public libraries with significant high speed access (we did not define how high was high).

Pick state where there were a low percentage of public libraries with significant high speed access (again, we didn’t define how low was low)

For the high bandwidth states, interview telecommunications and government people and state library and practicing librarians about the connectivity:

how they got the bandwidth they got

how is the connectivity achieved

are they in a coalition, with whom

how much does it cost a month

how did they decide how much bandwidth they needed

what techniques did they use to convince whomever that they needed the bandwidth they got

For the low bandwidth states, interview the same people about the barriers they face in getting high speed bandwidth.

In looking at the data in the 2006 Internet survey that John B sent to us, I combined the lowest two columns (less that 56 kpbs and less than 128 kbps) to find the states with the lowest high speed connectivity. I also looked at which states had the least percent over 769 kbps. These two figures are shown below:

% less than 128 kbps

% more than 769 kbps

Alaska

27.3%

22%

Idaho

24.9%

37.8%

Iowa

15.1%

34.2%

Mississippi

39.7%

38%

Nevada

27.7%

67.2%

Vermont

26.9%

41.7%

Wyoming

14.9%

24.6%

I’m looking for those with the highest percentages in the first column and the lowest in the second. Based on this should we choose: Mississippi? Alaska (or do they have a unique set of problems and it’s not worth visiting)? Wyoming? Idaho?

I took the highest two columns (greater than 769 and 1.5 mbps) and came up with these states.

% >769 kbps

% > 1.5mbps

Florida

4.7%

83.6%

Georgia

6.5%

90.6%

Maryland

5.3%

88.4%

Ohio

3.2%

86.8%

Rhode Island

0%

82.9%

South Carolina

7.6%

78.7%

I’m looking for those with the lowest percentage in the first column and the highest in the second column.. Based on this data we could choose any of these.

Other factors that could be considered would be:

1. Where do we already have really good information from people on our team (for example, if Wisconsin were on the list, can’t we get a lot of information from Bob?) Who else knows a lot about some of these states. (Linda and Iowa??)

2. Should we go to the states where the Interent 2006 did case studies? Have these states been interviewed enough?

3. For the high connectivity states, do we want to go places where there is one statewide network or where there are many different configurations to get a broader spectrum of information?

Moving to the Davis/Ryan survey, we get a different perspective. We were deliberately vague in our definition so the data are very general. Those states with the lowest connectivity are Alaska (again), Idaho (also on my list) and Texas.

There is a very large number indicating over 90% connectivity. Mississippi is high on this list while low on the Internet 2006 survey. Duplicates on the two studies include Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, and Rhode Island.

Of particular interest on the Davis/Ryan survey were some of the comments. Based on the comments alone, I was intrigued by Oklahoma, Missouri, Mississippi, Wisconsin, and Texas.
I do wish we had included power companies in the list about how broadband connectivity is achieved.

Finally, John Windhausen put forth a paper for the Denver conference that was held in early September. It’s called Libraries Access to Broadband Services: Issues, Obstacles and Recommendations. He presents three models of high speed connectivity:
Government owned and operated
Commercially-owned monopoly regulated to the government
Free market
Where are these models in operation in the country and could they be used to choose the states?

So those are some thoughts. What criteria would the rest of you use? Suggestions for states and why?